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Crease Flies

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Bob Pink 
#1 ·
For those of you caught up with trying to get your tying done for the season (like me) if you haven't committed yourself to a topwater pattern you should try a Crease fly.

I've always been frustrated with casting the foam poppers.

I tried out a few of the Crease flies I tied up this winter on a pond yesterday afternoon and I am very excited about using them in the salt this weekend. Easy to tie, easy to cast, I was in a pretty good wind yesterday with an 8weight floating big game taper. Great action.

For those not familiar with Crease flies, I believe Joe Blados is credited with creating them. I found out about them in Veverka's "Innovative Saltwater" book.

**Bob Pink could you post a photo & your directions?

They're simple to tie:
1. Lay down a thick course of thread on the your hook
2. Tie on a tail of bucktal & flash
3. Glue (use a superglue GEL)the pre-cut sheet foam body to
the hook shank
4. Color the foam with markers & cover with clear cover like
hard as nails.

Roop
 
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#3 ·
Roop,

You have those directions right on the money. A couple of tips;

It pays to get the precut foam just right b4 trying to glue it. Take an square that is roughly the size you will need, fold it in half (make the crease!) and then cut the two sides at the same time. This will make it easy to match the shape for both sides.

Try to get the bottom seam closed off first when you start the glue. You can always add more inside the 'cavity' to secure the shank. As you get the shank starting to set, push down at the front opening to exaggerate the open shape.

I tried coating mine with a thinned, slow-set epoxy. I bought some Hard-as-nails later but havn't put it to the test. I'd like to hear some comparative feedback if you have tried both?

A question for you? Did you find that the fly sat on it's side in the water? Did it turn upright when you retrieved it? I had called Joe and he said that they will ride sideways when stationary since it's hard to prevent them from getting top-heavy, but they will straighten up when you are stripping....

Aren't his coloring schemes beautiful?
 
#4 ·
Oops,

Since these are poppers, I color the inside of the 'mouth' with the brightest red marker I have up to about a 1/2" inside.

Once the glue sets up you can add some finish shaping to the bottom with some fine sandpaper.

Foam sheets available in various colors at most craft chain stores for about $0.30 per sheet and you can use thm to make all the gurglers you could ever need.....
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the additional info Bob.

1. The flies I tested the other day were sitting upright, I think that's because the only ones I tried were not tied on 3X hooks.
2. I have used a clear nail polish, not hard as nails and am not too pleased with it. It needs to be applied heavy & fast to keep the colors from washing & bleeding. I plan on using 10 minute epoxy next time.
3. On additional thing, I really like using the 7MM doll eyes.

My flies are no where near as beautiful as Joe's or yours. While I try to duplicate natural baitfish color schemes, mine come out looking like something you would find in a comic book. I hope the stripers & smallmouth have a good sense of humor.

Roop
 
#6 ·
Roop,
For coloring the bodies i really like the permanent markers from "berol"?, sorry I can't remember the exact name. If you go to a graphic arts supplier you can find plenty of colors to work from. Just buy Sharpies for the regular colors like black, red, and green. The funny thing about the foam is that it doesn't absorb the colors too quickly. I put some streaks of color on the body and then blend the colors with a towel rag. You can blend them nicely.
If you go with epoxy, try using the 2 hour version and then heat it to about 100* by sitting it in a bowl of hot water. This lowers the viscosity and allows you to apply it much thinner. The higher temps accelerate the cure time so that's why you need the 2 hour.
Another trick is to buy some fine glitter to mix with the epoxy, stir it right into the mix and 'paint' it on.
 
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